


The Night Sky I'll Paint for You

by Astrella



Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hospital, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:34:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27482791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astrella/pseuds/Astrella
Summary: For a long time, Kyoya thought the chill was inevitable. So never did he expect he’d find that warmth in Miki’s decaying hands.
Relationships: Ootori Kyouya/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is in celebration of Rapunzel's second year anniversary. While it can be read on its own, it is highly recommended that you read the original before delving into this story as there are several characters, references and scenarios that tie back to it.

**Ootori Kyoya** walked past the automatic sliding doors, bringing along with him the rush of August's heat as he peered down to check his wristwatch.

It was still early in the afternoon. He had just been let out of college classes and was on his way to deliver some basic necessities to his second elder brother, who had gotten himself into a car accident two days ago. While the injuries weren't severe per se, they did warrant immediate medical attention and a few days long stay at the hospital.

Scrolling through the text messages on his phone, Kyoya frowned once he realized Akito didn't specify which floor he was on. He sighed in resignation, instead opting to glance up at the directory board between the two sets of elevators.

_3F - Medical Intensive Care Unit_

Seems about right.

However, once he got to the third floor, he quickly realized his hunch was anything but right when he read out an unfamiliar name on the corresponding room's nameplate.

He sighed again.

Maybe he should just call and ask his brother, and resign himself to be ridiculed for the next hour over his inability to locate the proper ward.

The Ootori family was nothing famous, just a typical single father, middle-class family. One of the many working cogs that kept the country's economy afloat. But having three older siblings meant that practically anything and everything was a competition, and being the youngest was certainly no help in fanning the inferiority complex that plagued him since childhood.

Besides, he wanted to get out as soon as possible. He wasn't particularly fond of hospitals.

Quite frankly, he couldn't think of anyone who would be.

It was just as he wandered through the halls, contemplating on what to do, when a sudden voice registered through his mind.

"... And the next day, just as it was beginning to get dark, the prince went to the tower. Copying the sorceress's voice, he called out: 'Rapunzel, Rapunzel. Let down your hair.'"

It was a voice resembling that of a soft drawn-out note on the violin, gentle and pleasant to the ears. Kyoya raised a brow. Following the source of the sound, he continued down the tile flooring until he reached a large archway just on the other side of the elevators.

Inside was a brightly coloured room, lit up with the combination of the fluorescent lights and the afternoon sun that shone through the large windows. Cartoon animal decals and painted fishes littered the walls, along with a large built-in bookshelf lodged to the right. At the center of the room, what looked to be a teenage girl with pink-brown, almost strawberry blonde hair was surrounded by about a dozen children, all sitting on various colourful cushions and bean bags as they listened intently to her speak.

From where Kyoya was standing, he couldn't quite see the girl's face; but he could very much tell she was the owner of the voice he had heard in the hallway. She had the storybook propped on her lap for the kids to see. Despite not being able to read the words directly off the pages, she still told the story with such familiarity and enthusiasm as if it was anything but a common fairy tale.

He was about to turn and leave when one of the children sitting upfront noticed him.

"Miki-neechan," They gently tugged on the girl's dress before pointing towards the hallway.

Hazel eyes locked with his grey ones from across the room.

"Oh!" At first, she was a little taken off-guard by the stranger's sudden appearance, but the look of shock quickly vanished as she turned to the kids. "Give me a second, okay?" Setting the book down, she moved to stand up.

"Hello," She waved, making her way towards Kyoya with a smile brighter than any he's ever seen in this dreadful place. "How can I help-wah!"

However, before she could properly reach him, her body suddenly jerked to the side, and she took a tumble, practically falling face-first onto the vinyl tile.

"Miki-neechan!" Some of the kids began to panic.

"I'm alright, I'm alright..." The girl named Miki propped herself up on an elbow as her other hand massaged the redden bump on her forehead. "Don't worry, this happens all the time," She assured with a small laugh.

_Ah, so she's a klutz._

When Miki fell, Kyoya had initially taken a step back out of instinct, not wanting to get caught up in her accident. But now that she was collapsed at his feet, he felt like it'd be cruel and just plain rude of him not to help her up.

"Are you alright?" He asked, standing over her with an outstretched hand.

Miki stared up at him with a blank expression that lingered for a few moments, only for her cheeks to suddenly brighten as she took his offer to stand up. "Yes! Thank you very much!"

Helping her to her feet, Kyoya watched as Miki dusted off her flowy, white chiffon dress before meeting his gaze with another beaming smile. "Sorry about that," She giggled. "Anyways, back to what we were talking about. How can I help you?"

Kyoya could barely contain the grimace that threatened to twist his lips as he remembered his current predicament.

"I'm looking for my brother," He answered honestly. "I know the room number, but I don't know which floor he's on."

Miki hummed. "If you don't mind me asking. What is he here for?"

"Car accident."

"I'm sorry to hear that," She pressed her lips together. "Has he been stabilized yet?"

"I'm pretty sure, yeah," Kyoya rubbed the back of his neck. "Father mentioned that they only kept him here for formality's sake."

"Then he should be in the Non-Intensive Care Unit," Miki said conclusively. "That's on the sixth floor."

"I see," Giving a nod of thanks, Kyoya turned to leave only for Miki to stop him.

"W-Wait," She called out, fumbling over her words a little as he glanced over his shoulder with a questioning look. "What's your name?"

Kyoya was silent. Why would she want to know something like that?

"Oh," During the brief amount of time Kyoya spent contemplating whether or not to tell the strange girl his name, she spoke up again. "I guess I should tell you mine before asking, huh?" She chuckled wryly. "My name is Miki. Suoh Miki."

Though he already learned such information from listening to the children panic over her previous fall, Kyoya paid it no mind. Figuring it couldn't hurt, he nodded.

"Ootori Kyoya."

It's not like they would ever meet again.

* * *

Not even a week later, much to his dismay, Kyoya found himself back at the hospital once again. Akito had forgotten something when he had been discharged and sent him, the youngest brother slash glorified errand boy, to retrieve it.

He spoke with the young woman behind the reception desk, briefly explaining the circumstances before being told to hold for a moment as she skimmed through Akito's files. As he stood there waiting, Kyoya couldn't help but let a small ball of white catch his attention from the corner of his eye.

Standing near the automatic sliding doors was Miki - that same girl he had met the last time he visited. She was dressed in that same white chiffon dress and a thin white jacket over it, bending over with her hands on her knees as she conversed with a young girl and her father. While all three of them were smiling, hers seemed to shine the brightest as she spoke with such excitement and movement with her words, so much so Kyoya couldn't help but wonder who was the child between her and the little girl.

At one point, the father of the young girl seemed to have caught Kyoya staring. Keeping his eyes trained on him, he whispered something to Miki, who turned to meet his gaze. It took a moment, but when the look of recognition washed over her delicate features, her cheeks glimmered. She turned to the little girl, gently ruffling her hair with a few more words before waving goodbye.

"Kyoya-san!" She waved, jogging towards him with a slight hobble to her step. "It's good to see you-wahh!"

Once again, just as she was about to meet him at the reception desk, her right foot got caught in her left, and her body jerked forward. However, this time Kyoya was close and conscious enough to help her. By reaching out to grab her shoulders, he effectively prevented what could only be another harsh meeting with the hospital floor.

"Be careful," He said flatly, taking the brief second to help stabilize her before letting go.

"Suoh-san!" The woman behind the counter jolted to her feet, seeming especially on edge from Miki's clumsiness. "Are you alright?"

Miki blinked, seemingly taking a moment to register the lack of an impact before eventually nodding.

"Yeah, I'm fine," She told the receptionist with a bubbly laugh before shifting her attention back to Kyoya. "Thanks again, Kyoya-san. We seem to keep meeting like this, huh?"

"I suppose so."

Displeased by the girl's indifferent attitude, the receptionist frowned. "Suoh-san, please be more careful," She chided at the girl. "Ueda-san told you not to run around, didn't she?"

"I'm sorry," Despite her words, Miki didn't seem all that apologetic as she continued to laugh without much of a care in the world. "I promise I'll be careful next time. So please don't tell Suzuno-san about this."

The receptionist pursed her lips as she sunk back into her chair. "Just... be careful," She murmured.

"So?" Miki shifted her weight to the front, glancing at Kyoya with her head tilted to the side and hands behind her back. "What brings you to the hospital, Kyoya-san? Are you here to visit your brother again?"

"He's already been discharged," He told her. "I'm just here to pick up something he left behind."

"Ah, I see."

"I believe the item Ootori-san lost has been registered and left for claim at the lost and found station," The receptionist informed, index finger running across the monitor as she skimmed the words on the screen. "That's located on the basement floor. So if you'd take the stairs to your right-"

"Oo, I can take him," Miki interrupted with a raise of her hand. "I know how to get there."

The receptionist cast a skeptical look in Miki's direction, taking a second to study her sincere expression before heaving a sigh in resignation. "If it's alright with you, Ootori-san," She said, directing an apologetic smile towards him.

Honestly, Kyoya wanted to say no. Just a simple 'no thanks,' ask for the directions and make his way there by himself. Something told him he shouldn't associate himself with Miki more than he already has. But for some strange reason, he found himself unable to turn down her offer right then and there as he limboed between the two options for a moment. It wasn't until he made the mistake of looking at Miki, spotting the expecting gleam in her eyes, did he finally crack.

"I don't mind."

* * *

The first thing Kyoya realized was that Miki talked _, a lot._

Despite her tendency to stutter and occasionally slur her words, she rambled on as if she had something against the natural silence of the universe, trying to fill in as many gaps as she could with either her nonsensical babbling or his contrived, mindless responses.

The second thing he noticed was that she had a habit of dragging her feet as she walked.

While the sound of her ballet flats scraping against the tiled floor annoyed Kyoya to some extent, but it never warranted a mention. Though he did internally remark that the habit itself was likely the lead contributing factor as to why she was so clumsy.

"So what did your brother lose, Kyoya-san?" Once they arrived at the small office at the hospital's bottom floor, Miki wasted no time lining up behind an older couple already speaking with the young man behind the counter.

"It's a notebook," Kyoya's grip tightened around the strap of his cross-shoulder bag. "Black, hardcover."

Miki nodded in understanding, and as soon as the elderly couple gathered their things and left the lineup, she stepped forward with a friendly wave.

"Hey, Mori-san," She greeted the man. "My friend's brother lost his notebook during his hospital stay. Do you think you can look for it for us?"

"Name?" The young man asked, directing his attention towards Kyoya, who raised an eyebrow at his newly acquired title of being Miki's 'friend.'

"Ootori Akito," He replied.

Mori looked down, typing a few things into the computer before rising to his feet. "Please wait a moment."

"Don't worry about him," Miki leaned over with a whisper as she watched the young man disappear into the backroom. "Mori-san is actually really nice. He's just a little awkward in expressing it."

Kyoya raised an eyebrow. He wasn't really the type to be concerned over such trivial matters, but he nodded nevertheless.

"You seem familiar with everyone," He voiced his thoughts out loud.

"Hm?" Miki cocked her head to the side. "Ah, well. I've been here for a while. So I've gotten to know everyone over the years."

Kyoya thought back to their first meeting when he saw her reading to the children in that brightly coloured room. "Are you a volunteer?"

"No, I'm actually a patient."

Silence consumed Kyoya as he simply stared at the girl beside him. He knew it was rude, but it was honestly quite difficult to tell whether she was being serious or not, especially with that laid-back, nonchalant attitude. She certainly didn't look sick. Sure, she was a little underweight for anyone over the age of sixteen, and perhaps a little pale and tired, but it was nothing out of the ordinary. Kyoya has seen many like her among the walking dead of his college classes.

It took a moment, but he finally found the self-control to look away. "My apologies," He muttered.

"Huh?" Miki blinked. "What're you apologizing for?" She sounded genuinely curious.

"For bringing it up. I know people generally don't like discussing their illnesses with others."

"No, it's fine. You didn't know," She shook her head. "Besides, I don't mind talking about it. Though I don't really know much myself."

Kyoya's forehead creased, though he didn't pursue the subject.

Nevertheless, Miki continued to speak. "The doctors said it's a rare genetic disorder called-uh... GSS disease?" She tapped her chin in thought before letting out a small laugh. "Honestly, I don't really remember the full name of it. It's way too long and complicated."

Kyoya hummed. He's never heard of that disease before.

"Are you here all the time?" He asked.

"I used to visit on and off when I was first diagnosed. But I moved in full-time about... three months ago?" Her eyes flickered upwards in recollection. "My parents figured it'd be best for me to stay here so the doctors could keep a better eye on my condition."

"I see."

It was then, Mori finally returned, having retrieved that familiar-looking black journal from the backroom. He passed it to Kyoya with a wordless nod before taking a seat back at his desk, motioning for the next customers to step forth.

After waving goodbye to the tall, silent man, Miki followed Kyoya out of the office and prepared to walk him back to the front entrance, despite his insistence of the thought alone being enough.

"Hey, Kyoya-san?" Shifting her weight forward, Miki suddenly popped into Kyoya's peripheral vision with a slightly mischievous smile tugging at her lips. "Can I ask for a favour?"

Kyoya cast her an estranged glance. Had this been her goal all along? The reason why she chose to volunteer and guide him to the lost property's office? All so she could guilt him into asking for a favour in return? He had to admit, if that was indeed her master plan, she was certainly quite devious in pulling it off. Because now from where he stood, Kyoya felt he'd be a bit of an asshole if he just heartlessly turned down her request without as much of a thought.

But he had to admit. A certain part of him was curious to know what someone like her would ask for.

Ignoring the rising irritation that served as a reminder to him that he had just been played like a fiddle, Kyoya stopped in his tracks.

"Sure," He met her gaze, watching as her eyes suddenly grew wider, gleaming with a sense of undeniable excitement. "What did you want me to do?"

It seemed to have taken Miki an extra second to process things. Perhaps she hadn't expected him to cooperate so easily. But once his response got through the spinning gears of her head, she immediately reached down to fish out her phone from her jacket pocket, passing it to him with an expecting smile.

Turns out, all she wanted was to ask for his phone number.


	2. Chapter 2

**After dropping** off the notebook at his brother's place, Kyoya went straight back to his studio apartment near the university. Tossing aside his cross-shoulder bag, he took a seat at his desk and wasted no time booting up his laptop. The desire to indulge in his curiosity nagged at him from the inside out as he pulled up the default search engine and typed into the search bar: _GSS disease._

It took a moment, but he wasted no time clicking into the first article that popped up once the web page finally loaded.

_Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease._

_Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker (GSS) disease is a rare genetic degenerative brain disorder. It is almost always inherited and is found in only a few families around the world. The symptoms, the progression of the disorder, and the overall severity can vary significantly among affected families and individuals, even if they're from the same family. Though a common symptom and early sign of the illness is a progressive loss of coordination that may present as unsteadiness of gait, difficulty walking, and clumsiness._

Kyoya felt a lump form in his throat as he read that last part over and over again; Miki's apparent clumsiness immediately came to mind.

_As the disease progresses, other symptoms become apparent, including dementia, dysarthria (slurring of speech), spasticity (rigid muscle tone), hypomimia (a reduced degree of facial expression), visual disturbances that sometimes lead to complete blindness, and on rarer occasions, hearing loss._

_There is no cure for GSS due to its rarity, nor are there any known treatments to slow the disease's progression. Those who are diagnosed usually last from 2 to 10 years. Current therapies are aimed at alleviating symptoms and making the patient as comfortable as possible._

"No cure, huh...?" Kyoya leaned back in his seat, running a hand through his hair with a sigh. "Feels like I'm reading the plot of some kind of medical drama."

He almost laughed at his own dry remark.

"Still. I probably shouldn't associate with her anymore," He said to no one in particular, an innate chill running down his spine as he skimmed through the symptoms once again.

But as if the universe were slapping him across the face, his phone suddenly beeped in the pocket of his jeans, signalling the reception of a new text message.

Though he had a relatively good idea of who the sender was and what his next course of action should be, especially if he wanted to follow through on his plan for the situation he found himself in. He still clicked into the notification, against the better of his judgement.

[Suoh Miki]

\- Hey, Kyoya-san! It's me, Miki   
\- I was hoping we could keep in contact like this ('∀')

_Sent August 12th, 4:03 pm_

Kyoya's lips weighed into a frown. He was already kicking himself for opening the message because now he felt somewhat obligated to respond, especially if she spots the read receipt. He pulled up his keyboard, fingers lingering for a moment as he thought of what to type.

[Ootori Kyoya]

\- Sure.

_Sent August 12th, 4:07 pm_

He knew four minutes was more than a little long for such a basic response, but he didn't know what else to say.

Carrying his phone in one hand, Kyoya stood up and fell back onto his bed. He was just about to turn off his phone when a set of grey ellipsis suddenly bounced up from the bottom left corner of their sparse chat thread. She was typing.

[Suoh Miki]

\- By the way, how old are you?

[Ootori Kyoya]

\- I'm 20.

[Suoh Miki]

\- Really? That makes me older than you then (°▽°)

Kyoya's brows knitted together at her off-handed comment. There's no way _she_ was older than him.

[Ootori Kyoya]

\- If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?

[Suoh Miki]

\- I turned 21 in June.

Kyoya felt his eyebrow twitch. Granted, that only meant she was about five months older, given that his birthday was coming up in November. But just the thought that _she,_ of all people, was technically speaking, older than him, irked him severely.

[Suoh Miki]

\- Are you a college student?

He breathed out a sigh through his nose. Though he originally intended it to sound like that of exasperation, it came out more of a snort than anything. Much like her in-person habits, it seems like she refused to let any form of silence draw out between them if she could help it.

[Ootori Kyoya]

\- Yeah.  
\- So forgive me if I'm too busy to reply.

He added that last part for good measure. To ensure he had something he could fall back on as he attempted to gradually bow out of her life. But much to his dismay, Miki's response was immediate.

[Suoh Miki]

\- It's fine. I know you're busy.  
\- I have time.

Kyoya couldn't help but cringe at her last message.

* * *

[Suoh Miki]

\- Good Morning, Kyoya-san! I hope you have a good day today~

_Sent August 13th, 8:09 am_

Kyoya peered down at the illuminated screen of his phone, a mildly annoyed frown weighing at his lips. Flipping the device on its screen, he promptly returned his attention to his professor speaking upfront.

* * *

Once classes concluded for the morning, Kyoya made his way to one of the quieter cafes on campus. After settling into his usual seat, he instinctively reached for his phone in his pocket, about to shoot his friend a text when that simple morning text once again captured his attention.

He pursed his lips.

The rational side of him said to ignore it. When he agreed to give the sick girl his number, becoming her full-time text-pal certainly wasn't part of the deal. He could easily brush it off as 'he was too busy with school to respond' just as he warned. But when he stupidly scrolled up to see her last final from the day before, his stomach churned with guilt. Holding his phone with both hands, he quickly drafted up a response.

[Ootori Kyoya]

\- Sorry. I was in class.

_Sent August 13th, 12:42 pm_

He was about to switch over to his friend's chat room, when those familiar grey ellipses almost immediately popped up on her side of the screen.

[Suoh Miki]

\- Yeah, I figured.  
\- Sorry for bothering you (°_°)

_Sent August 13th, 12:42 pm_

_Does she have nothing better to do?_

Though he knew the answer full-well, Kyoya still couldn't but grumble internally. Resigning himself to another full-length conversation with her, he crossed his leg and leaned back in the smooth wooden chair.

[Suoh Miki]

\- By the way, I was wondering...  
\- Why do you have classes right now? Isn't it summertime?

[Ootori Kyoya]

\- Summer school.  
\- I'm trying to graduate early.

[Suoh Miki]

\- So diligent!! What's your major?

[Ootori Kyoya]

\- Business.

[Suoh Miki]

\- Yeah, I figured it'd be something like that.  
\- I think business suits you well, Kyoya-san.

[Ootori Kyoya]

\- Thanks. Though I'm taking Astronomy as an elective right now.

[Suoh Miki]

\- Wait, so you're learning about the stars? That's so cool!

Kyoya sighed. People tended to have that kind of misconception when it came to astronomy, often confusing it with the subject of astrology. He did too at first, enrolling in the course cause he thought that the knowledge he's raked up on the position and behaviour of stars would carry him to an easy 'A.' That, alongside all the many romanticized stories his mother used to tell him and his siblings from her hospital bed as she gazed out into the starry night with a serene expression. But alas, instead of the glamorized stories he heard from his childhood, astronomy ended up being about the study of the universe and its contents outside of Earth's atmosphere. While it was disappointing, he still ended up finding the subject entertaining in its own way, ultimately deciding to stick through it for the summer. 

[Ootori Kyoya]

\- You're confusing astronomy with astrology.

[Suoh Miki]

\- ???

[Ootori Kyoya]

\- Astronomy is the scientific study of everything in outer space.  
\- Astrology is what you're thinking of.

[Suoh Miki]

\- But the stars are in outer space?

[Ootori Kyoya]

\- Not just the stars.  
\- The planets, the moon, the sun, asteroids etc.

[Suoh Miki]

\- That's a little confusing, but okay ('∀')  
\- Do you enjoy it at least?

[Ootori Kyoya]

\- It's interesting.

[Suoh Miki]

\- That's good, having fun is the most important part!

Kyoya's brow drew closer. _No._ He thought to himself. _Gathering credits and getting a degree is the most important part._

Though it's not like that's something _she_ would ever understand.

[Suoh Miki]

\- Do you have any more classes after? Or are you done for the day?

[Ootori Kyoya]

\- I'm done.  
\- I have work after.

[Suoh Miki]

\- Oh, you have a job? Where?

[Ootori Kyoya]

\- Just for the summer.  
\- I'm an educator at the Yotsuboshi Space Centre & Planetarium.

[Suoh Miki]

\- A planetarium job?! That sounds like a lot of fun.

[Ootori Kyoya]

\- It's okay.  
\- There's a new projection sequence they're preparing to show for a limited time. So I think they're giving debriefings on that today.

[Suoh Miki]

\- Really?? I kinda wanna see it.

Kyoya's fingers lingered on the touchscreen for a moment. He knew he was going to regret what he was about to say, but it was that part of him again. That part of himself, he had promptly labelled as the "irrational side," that part in the pits of his stomach that wanted to indulge her for just a little while longer as it guided his fingers across the keyboard.

[Ootori Kyoya]

\- Did you want to go?

Sure enough, her response was immediate.

[Suoh Miki]

\- Can I????

[Ootori Kyoya]

\- Of course. The viewing is open to the public.

[Suoh Miki]

\- YES!!! Yes, I want to go!!

Kyoya almost winced at how much energy was being thrown towards his side of the chat room.

[Ootori Kyoya]

\- The Planetarium is about an hour away from the hospital though.  
\- Will they let you go?

[Suoh Miki]

\- Of course they will!!  
\- It's not like I'm hooked up to machines or anything.

An unpleasant feeling washed over Kyoya. Not only did it ooze of ignorance towards her own illness, but it also managed to highlight one of the strangest qualities Kyoya found in the girl - how she always manages to blurt out words that don't seem to carry much thought behind them.

Words that once seemed so casual and easily blended into a person's everyday conversation weighed heavily on Kyoya whenever she spoke. They were like knives that sliced through his mind, serving as a constant reminder that the girl on the other side of the screen would more than likely be unable to perform such simple tasks any longer once her illness slowly consumed her body.

Yet, at the same time, Miki seemed to be living a much more carefree life compared to him; Kyoya almost found it ironic. How someone terminally ill could prance on like there was nothing wrong with the word?

Call it curiosity; call it pity. But it was that element of unpredictability and unknown embedded within her that drew Kyoya to type his next response.

[Ootori Kyoya]

\- Sure.


	3. Chapter 3

**It took** about a week for Kyoya to set everything up, mainly acquiring complimentary tickets as part of his benefits for being a staff member. So the following weekend, he was making his third trip to the hospital that month, picking up Miki in person as requested by her doctor.

“Kyoya-san!”

Miki’s voice was a bell-like chime, echoing through the streets as Kyoya made his way down the path that led up to the hospital.

He glanced up from his phone, spotting the strawberry blonde waving a hand excitedly in the air. Beside her stood a young woman with pale blonde hair, dressed in what seemed to be a nurse’s uniform. She nodded at him with a smile.

“It’s good to see you again!” Miki bounced towards him. She looked a little paler than Kyoya remembered, perhaps a little thinner. But nothing like someone who was dying.

“We’ve been texting all week,” Kyoya pointed out.

“But that’s completely different from actually seeing you,” Miki was quick to retort, looking like a puppy that was about to pounce on him out of sheer excitement. “Oh, let me introduce you. This is my nurse, Ueda Suzuno.”

“Nice to meet you,” Suzuno lowered her head courteously, and Kyoya was quick to return the gesture. “So you’re the famous ‘Kyoya-san’ I’ve heard about.”

“Famous?” He was perplexed by her choice of words.

“Well, you’re all Miki-san would talk about nowadays.”

“Ehehe...” Miki laughed awkwardly under Kyoya’s questioning gaze. “Well, I was just so excited to make a new friend.”

Suzuno chuckled along, politely covering her mouth with her hand when a look of remembrance crossed her eyes. “That’s right, Miki-san,” She looked over at her. “Did you grab your jacket? It might get cold in the building.”

“Oh, I forgot!” Miki gasped. “Sorry, Kyoya-san. Give me a moment.”

And with that, she ran back into the hospital, disappearing amongst the people.

“Was that… on purpose?” Kyoya asked.

Suzuno’s gaze floated over, lingering on his figure for a moment before crinkling. “You’re a sharp one, aren’t you?” She turned towards him. “If you don’t mind. I just need to go over a few instructions.”

He nodded. “I’m listening.”

“It’s pretty simple, actually. Just try and keep her within an arm’s length, and be there to catch her if she falls,” Suzuno’s directions were as simple as she claimed, but they sounded like those for babysitting a toddler rather than a fully-grown 21-year-old woman. “And try not to let her eat foods that require too much chewing. Her control over her jaw is becoming… a problem.”

Kyoya couldn’t help but notice her averted eyes with that last part.

“If you don’t mind me asking…” His voice trailed off. “How long has she been like _that_?”

“I was assigned to be her nurse when she was first admitted into the hospital, but I think she was diagnosed in her final year of high school. So about three, four years ago?”

Kyoya shifted his weight between his feet, recalling the general timeframe left for those who were diagnosed.

“How are you handling it?”

Suzuno’s brown eyes widened. She looked over at him, studying his expression for a brief moment before huffing out a light breath.

“Are you worried about me?” Her words had Kyoya jolting back with a sudden tinge of embarrassment. She chuckled. “Don’t be. It’s all part of working in palliative care,” Her gaze dulled a little. “Though I have to say, Miki-san is the worst kind of patient when it comes to this.”

Kyoya raised an eyebrow.

“What do you-”

“Kyoya-san!”

Before he could fully get his words out, that familiarly cheerful voice rang out from behind, taking Kyoya by surprise as he turned to look at the girl with long, strawberry-brown hair, now wearing that same thin-white jacket over her navy chiffon dress.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting,” She chirped, barely skidding to a stop before him. “Let’s go!”

Before Kyoya even realized, Suzuno’s demeanour had returned to that of a gentle nurse as she nodded. After looking over Miki one last time, she waved a hand in content. “Have fun, you two.”

* * *

“Hmm…” Kyoya followed behind Miki, trying to keep an eye on the sick girl as she went along with the current of people hustling out of the screening room.

They arrived at Yotsuboshi Park - where the space centre and planetarium were - a little afternoon. After grabbing a bite to eat, or in Miki’s case, a bowl of soup and some bread, touring the entire museum from corner to corner and thoroughly playing with every single gadget at the Kid’s Astronaut Corner (much to Kyoya’s dismay), they finally got around to watching the last screening of the day, as per their tickets’ instructions.

“Something wrong?” He asked.

Miki shook her head. “It’s nothing wrong,” She murmured. “It’s just the projection they showed. Didn’t it look a little… fake? Like it’s nothing like the night sky we see.”

Kyoya pressed his lips together as he began pulling her aside, effectively weaving their way out of the flow of people. He had learned his lesson during the day - that Miki didn’t do too well with crowds. Not in a social sense, but physically. Any light shoves on her shoulder could tip the girl’s already-fragile balance in an instant. And as much as she’d try to save herself, to try and react by placing her other foot behind her, her clumsy reflexes would simply have her falling the ground in a faceplant. And more often than not, people were not quite so accommodating, seeing as her as being nothing but a dramatic person trying to stir up some drama. He sighed.

“Well, the colour of real stars are relatively subtle,” He said, watching as she leaned up against the planetarium wall for sturdier support. “They had to exaggerate it for dramatic effect.”

“I know,” Miki pouted. “I just wish they’d _show_ the real stars. I think they’re already plenty pretty as is. Oh-” She gasped, suddenly realizing something. “But that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it,” She turned to him, hurrying to justify herself. “I’m really grateful you brought me here today, Kyoya-san. I had a lot of fun just spending the day with you.”

Kyoya felt his lips weigh into a frown.

“Do you want to see them?”

He knew it sounded immature, like a child trying to issue a challenge to unnecessarily prove himself. To be fair, he’s been doing that his entire life. To his father, to his siblings, and it was that wretched ego of his that irked at her comment, driving the words to tumble out his mouth without a second thought.

“What?” Miki was confused.

“The ‘real’ stars? Do you want to see them?”

It wasn’t until he uttered those words aloud did it strike Kyoya how aggressive he sounded. But much to his surprise, Miki’s wide-eyes simply brightened into a smile.

“Yes, please!”

* * *

Night fell like a gentle cloak on the skies above, soft and velvety as the last traces of daylight disappeared beyond the horizon. Kyoya sat on a park bench, watching as the girl beside him awkwardly rubbed her hands together, desperately trying to create any kind of friction to warm them up. He didn’t think it was _that_ cold, even with the night and sea breeze.

“That’s what you get for eating ice cream.”

A little while earlier, as he was looking for a place for them to sit down. They came across a short little man with honey-blond hair, a straw hat and a mustache, pulling along an ice cream cart as he hollered out his sales. Miki couldn’t resist the temptation and ended up buying a double scoop of both chocolate and coffee flavours.

“Maybe,” The blonde hummed. “But it was yummy, so it was worth it!” She concluded, and Kyoya couldn't help but sigh in resignation.

“By the way, what are we doing here, Kyoya-san?”

He raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“You said we’re going to see the real stars, right? If that’s the case, shouldn’t we go to the mountains or something?” She looked towards the vast ocean that spread out before them, reflecting the city lights from across the shore inked within. “It’d be difficult to see the stars with all this around.”

Kyoya deadpanned at her statement. “Do you think we _can_ go to the mountains?”

“Ah! That’s true.”

“And believe it or not,” His voice trailed off as he craned his neck, spotting the first few spots of starlight hanging in the night sky. “Yotsuboshi Park is one of the best places for stargazing in Tokyo, even with surrounding city lights. It’s why the space station was built here.”

“Really?!” Her posture straightened a little.

“What? Don’t believe me?” Kyoya looked over at her, a smug smirk tugging at his lips.

Miki turned to meet his gaze. After thinking about his words and properly processing it, her cheeks glimmered, and she nodded. “No. I believe you, Kyoya-san!”

The sincerity behind those words seemed to strike a chord in Kyoya as Miki went back to warming her hands, this time bringing them up to her mouth so she could blow into them. He watched as her shoulders tensed around her neck, muscles clenched tight against a phantom enemy he couldn’t quite feel. Her lips quivered ever-so-slightly from the lingering cold-ness of that ice cream, combined with the night’s chill and the sea breeze that continuously washed over them. She looked like a newborn kitten, trembling from the cold.

Kyoya pursed his lips.

“Here,” Without another word, he extended a hand towards her.

Miki stared down at his open palm. “Huh?”

“Give me your hands. I’ll help you warm them up.” As cheesy as that sounded, Kyoya did his best to swallow his pride.

_I wouldn’t be doing this for you if you weren’t sick._

“Is that okay?” The blonde cocked her head to the side. “Then, excuse me…” She gently slid her delicate hands into his larger ones, immediately heaving a sigh in relief as she relished in the sudden warmth that enveloped them.

“Wow,” She gasped in what could almost be described as amazement. “Your hands are so warm, Kyoya-san!”

“They’re the hands of someone who didn’t eat an ice cream.”

“Now, now,” Miki chuckled. “No need to bring the ice cream into this. It’s innocent. ”

“It’s anything but innocent,” Kyoya retorted with a flat expression. “If you knew you’d get cold so easily, you shouldn’t be eating ice cream in the first place.”

“I know~.” She sang, though her carefree expression seemed to betray how much of his words she actually took in. “Say, Kyoya-san. Are you an older brother by any chance?”

“No, I’m not,” Kyoya drew a heavy breath, going along with her attempt to change their topic of conversation. “I have siblings, but they’re all older than me.”

Miki blinked. “Really? That’s surprising.”

“What makes you say that?”

“You just strike me as someone who’d be an older brother.”

He was silent for a moment. “So you thought I’m an older sibling, ‘just because?’”

“Yep!”

Kyoya felt his brows twitch, glaring down at the blonde with a rising irritation at her simple-minded attitude. But once he caught sight of her giggling expression, he found it simmering down just slightly.

“I had to take care of myself from a pretty young age,” he said. “That’s probably why I seem like that to you.”

“Huh?” Miki’s eyes rounded in surprise. “Why? Where were your parents?”

“I only have my father,” He readjusted his grip around her hands, trying to warm up the parts that were left out from the cracks in his fingers. “My mother died when I was eight.”

“Oh…” Miki’s spirits seemed to dull a little. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Kyoya shrugged. “What about you then?” He kept his gaze glued to her hands, pitch rising a little as he attempted to lighten the solemn mood he unintentionally brought to the conversation. “What’s the situation in your family?”

“It’s pretty standard,” Miki’s hazel eyes flickered upwards, seeming to grow a little more excited as she recalled the people she calls family. “There are four of us. My father, my mother and my twin brother. Oh, and our dog Antoinette!”

Kyoya hummed. That sounded surprisingly… normal. Half of him was prepared to hear an hour-long explanation about how her mom was forced to marry her dad in some twisted political scheme only to end up going against the norms and divorcing the man, resulting in some complicated plot that involved their child being locked up in some unknown room for seventeen years and a half-sibling somewhere in the fray.

He just didn’t know what to expect from someone with her _condition_.

“Do they visit you often?” That seemed to be the most logical thing to ask next.

But much to his surprise, Miki’s nostalgic smile fell at his question. Kyoya peered up from her hands, finding a wistful smile carved onto the girl’s usual beaming face. She shook her head.

“Not really...” Her voice trailed off a little as her head sank between her shoulders. “But it’s because they’ve been busy!” She then hurried to justify. “Father and mother are always buried in work, and my brother has university to deal with. My parents want him to eventually inherit the company, so he has a lot to prepare for, you know?”

She sounded like she was desperately trying to convince herself of something, and Kyoya didn’t have the heart to call her out on it.

_They’ve been busy._

What a cruel excuse that was.

Kyoya, of all people, knew that best.

“Kyoya-san, look!” But before his thoughts could completely consume him, Miki’s voice anchored him back to reality. He looked up, surprised to find her previously saddened eyes once again lit up with wonder.

“You were right!” She was pointing upwards. “There are stars! There really are stars!”

Following her index finger, Kyoya craned his neck.

Draped against the pitch-black curtain above them, millions of milky speckles were twirling and dancing against the black curtains in various patterns. Some formed clusters together, creating a mystical shape of some sort, while others hung alone in the darkness, acting as the lone, shining star in the night. They looked so distant, yet at the same time, so close. Like if Miki just reached out a little more, she could scoop them all up into her hands and carry them to whatever corner of the world she wanted.

Kyoya felt a gentle tug as Miki slid her left hand out of his grip. She leaned her body forward and attempted to stand up on her feet, but her knees didn’t seem to get the memo as they instantly buckled under the sudden pressure.

“Miki!”

Feeling her body jerk to the side, Kyoya immediately yanked on Miki’s right hand, effectively pulling her away from the ground as she fell back against his chest.

Miki looked utterly shellshocked by the sudden overload of motion. “Huh?” She simply sat there, staring up at Kyoya with wide eyes.

“I told you to be careful, didn’t I?” He frowned.

“R-Right…” Miki hummed, having just about processed what had happened. “Then…” Her voice trailed off as her right grip tightened around his left. “Would you mind holding my hand? Like that you’ll always be there to save me if I fall.”

Kyoya stared down at the young woman, sensing no particular ulterior motives behind her words. He should’ve known by this point. After spending an entire day with her, anyone would be able to tell that whatever came out of this girl’s mouth was as genuine as can be. She always spoke her mind, almost to a fault.

He helped her to her feet with a sigh. “Do what you want.”

Miki gave a wide smile before returning her attention to the starlit sky.

“Oh, look!” She practically jumped once she noticed something. “That up there, that’s Sirius - the brightest star in the sky. And there directly above it, that’s the Orion Belt!” She paused for a moment, tugging Kyoya along as she took a few steps forward. Using her free hand, she then pointed at something towards the north. “Over there is the Polaris. Oh, and look! That’s the Lyra constellation with Vega at its tip! Then there’s Spica in the Virgo constellation. Oo! And…”

Kyoya simply stood beside her, listening as she rambled on and on, attempting to give each little speckle in the sky its own introduction. He knew all of this, he’s heard it plenty of times and spent many collective hours reciting it back to adults and children alike during that short month and a half he’s spent volunteering at the space centre. And yet, he found himself unable to tear his eyes away from her or even tune her voice out, for that matter. A part of him was mesmerized, entranced even, by the way the stars reflected in Miki’s large, topaz-like eyes. By the way her voice would rise and fall with excitement every time she’d recognize a certain star or constellation. And how whenever that’d happen, she’d squeeze his hand just ever-so-slightly. 


End file.
